Life Gives Lemons
by actionman81
Summary: An AU story. Teenage rebel Daisy Johnson dates swarthy Grant Ward. But classmate Deke Shaw harbors a huge crush on her. Can Deke connect with Daisy?
1. Chapter 1

"I'm going out" Daisy Coulson practically sprinted down the stairs

"You've got to talk to your father before you leave" Melinda May-Coulson chided her daughter

"Forget it" Daisy balked, "Not after what he said to me"

"He's concerned about you" she reassured Daisy

"Daisy" Phil Coulson walked into the living room

"It's Skye, Dad" Daisy scowled at him

"Fine" he shook his head, "Who's the lucky boy tonight?"

"You know who I'm going out with" she glared at Phil

"I don't like him" Phil sighed, "That Ward is bad news" he scratched at his arm, "I don't know why, but he makes my skin crawl, like I've got hives"

"He loves me. Not that you'd know anything about that" Daisy turned on her heels and left the room

"I try" Phil turned to his wife

"She'll come around"

"I guess" he shrugged his shoulders, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was my own flesh and blood, the way she acts"

"Consider that a good sign" May smiled

Ten minutes later after Daisy had left on her date, the doorbell rang.

"Oh, hi Deke" May smiled when she opened the door

"Hi, Mrs. Coulson" Deke grinned, "Is Daisy here? I was hoping we could hang out"

"No" she shook her head, "She's gone – out"

"That's ok" Deke walked into the living room, and didn't realize Melinda's nonverbal cues, "I can wait for her to get back, if that's ok"

"No" she sighed, "She's out—with – " she cleared her throat

"Oh, a date" he realized, "Ok" he nodded quickly, "I'll see you later. Say hi to Mr. Coulson for me" he spun on his sneakered heels and headed out the front door.

"Now that's a nice kid" Coulson poked his head in the room, "weird, but nice"

Deke pulled out his cell phone and called his best friend

"Yeah Trevor, she's out. I bet she's with that jerk, Grant" he sighed, "I don't know what to do?"

"Forget about her" Trevor's voice came through the phone, "Just be chill. That's how I got with Sequoia"

"Please" Deke scoffed, "She used to go out with me"

"Guess she traded up" he laughed, "But really, just be yourself" he continued, "That's what girls really want"

"Maybe" Deke conceded, "Look, I'll meet up with you later on. I just want to go to the movies to get lost in a show and maybe get some snacks and - "

"And eat your emotions" Trevor joked  
"Shut up" Deke frowned on the phone, "You snatched up Sequoia. I thought you were my best friend?"  
"I am" Trevor grinned, "but I also have needs"

"Whatever" Deke shook his head, "I'm at the theatre. I'll talk with you later" he hung up the phone, "Much later" he told himself as he walked into the megaplex.  
"Wow" he saw her, standing by herself. "Daisy Coulson is just standing there, without anyone around her." Deke didn't know what to do. He backed up until he was against the wall, next to the entrance doors. "I've got to do something" he thought to himself, "Without that jerk Grant around, maybe- maybe she'll talk to me." he took a step forward, "We're in the same computer class. She's really good at it. Maybe- maybe I can talk to her about that" he grinned.  
Maybe.  
He took another step forward.  
Then another  
One more.  
Soon he was a couple of feet away. She had to have noticed him.  
Daisy stared at her phone, almost willing it to chime, ring, something. Anything.  
"Here goes" Deke thought  
Hi" he smiled at her.


	2. Chapter 2

Deke smiled, "Hi"  
Daisy looked up from her phone, "Oh, you're in one of my classes, right?"  
"Uh yeah, computer class" he grinned  
"Right, -" she hesitated  
"My friends call me the D"  
Daisy frowned  
"Oh, but people call me Deke" he quickly covered up his flub, "I mean, my name's Deke"  
"Right" she nodded, with a knowing look.  
"Did – uh – you come to see a movie?" he pointed at the posters on the wall.  
"I did" she sighed, "but my date never showed up" she glanced at her phone, "I was hoping he'd text me, or call me, but he didn't" the hurt showed on her face.  
"Do you want to see a movie?" Deke offered, "I mean, we could see one, if you wanted. I could even pay for us" he dug his hand into his jeans' pocket.  
"I just want to get out of here" she shoved her phone in her jeans' pocket.  
"Oh" Deke uttered, "Mind if I walk with you"  
"Sure, whatever" she scoffed.

They made their way down the sidewalk, "You know, you really don't have to do this" Daisy glanced at him  
"Sure I do" Deke grinned. He didn't want to add that he'd he'd do anything for her, too.  
"Hey mister!" two young children shouted at him. Deke noticed that he and Daisy had come across a homemade stand of some sort.  
"Do you want to buy a glass?" One little girl shoved a pitcher in his face.  
Deke looked at the murky contents, "How much?"  
"A dollar" the other one spoke up. They couldn't be older than six.  
"A dollar per glass?" Deke looked confused  
"Oh come on" Daisy smiled at him, "I bet they worked really hard on it, too"  
"Yeah lady, we been slaving all day long" the first child beamed at her  
"Sure, why not" Deke dug into his jeans' pocket and pulled out two crumpled bills.  
"Enjoy" the other little girl nodded and poured two paper cups of lemonade.  
"When life give you lemons" Deke held up his cup.  
Daisy looked at him quizzically, and then realized he expected her to clink the two cups together  
"Cheers" she tapped her paper cup against his. Together they drank the liquid  
"Not bad" she forced a smile for the children.  
"So, what do you want to do now?" Deke asked as the two walked along towards Daisy's house.  
"To tell you the truth-" she began.  
But she didn't finish the sentence. Just then, a black sports-car came around the turn.  
"Hey babe" Grant Ward leaned over the passenger side area and looked through the open window, "Hop in"  
"Where the heck were you?" Daisy fumed  
"Working on my college applications" he grinned, "Come on, I'm sure your little buddy here wants to run home to work on his ant farm or something" he stared at Deke  
"Actually, we were-" Deke started  
"It's ok" Daisy quickly nodded, "I had fun" she gave Deke a quick smile and then got into Ward's car.  
As the two sped off together, Deke stared at the sidewalk, where Daisy' paper cup lay crumpled against the concrete.  
"Why would she ever want me, when she's got him?" he sighed. He looked up and could just make out Grant's license plate, "SKYWRD"

"Jerk" Deke frowned. "Trevor's all curled up with Sequoia" he pulled his phone out of his pocket, "Maybe I can ask Nana and Bobo what to do" he dialed the number.


	3. Chapter 3

"Come on home" Nana instructed.  
Deke knew when to listen. He made his way back to their house. He didn't live with his parents, main;y because he didn't have parents anymore, but he had Nana and Bobo.  
Deke felt good at home.  
"I know you're upset about that girl at school" Nana began. She didn't look any older than Mrs. Coulson, but then again, neither did Bobo.  
"It's not that" Deke pushed past her, "Sequoia can go date whoever she wants to. It's a free country" he ran into his room and slammed the door shut.  
Where other boys would crank up their stereo or play music on an instrument, Deke booted up his computer. He wrote, and wrote, and wrote some more.  
"Sad lemon hours" he typed, "Life gives up lemons to you, so I made you some lemonade" he clacked on the keyboard, "But it wasn't very sweet, was it?" he sniffed back some tears, "No, ours was a sad lemon. Hours, hours of sad lemons. Ours was a sad, sad lemonade"

There was a loud knock on the door, "Deke" it was Bobo, "How about you turn off that computer and come out here for dinner"  
"I'm not hungry" Deke shouted  
"Then you won't get anything tonight" Bobo shouted back.  
"Fine!" Deke yelled, "It's not like I have anyone to stay alive for, anyway"  
The door opened. Deke had forgotten to lock it.  
"Now see here" Bobo sounded angry, "You've got a lot to be grateful for. You've got me, and Jemma, and -" he continued  
Deke cut him off, "Oh yeah, I'm the poor weird guy at school who doesn't even have real parents"  
"Oh" Bobo scoffed, "I suppose you'd like us to be one of those Norman Rockwell families, huh?" he shook his head, "Well, you just have us, so you better turn off that computer and come eat your food!"

"Make me" Deke gritted his teeth  
"Oh, I plan to" Bobo glared, "let me go get my tools" he rushed from the room.  
"Deke" it was Nana, "you really do need to eat something. I'm pretty sure that nobody wants you to die of starvation"  
"Bobo might" Deke glared at her.  
"Just come on" she suggested, "You like my cooking, huh?"  
"It's better than the stuff I used to eat" he shrugged his shoulders, "and I don't want Bobo to really go get his tools"  
"Oh, he's being silly" Nana waved off the idea  
"Sure" Deke wasn't so sure about that.  
"Besides" Nana went on, "your Uncle Mack and aunt Elena are coming over"  
"Tonight?" Deke pouted, "But- I've got stuff to do"  
"And you can do your oh so important stuff after our company leaves" Bobo was back in the hallway

The dining room was full. Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie and Elena Rodriguez sat next to each other while Nana and Bobo, Jemma and Fitz sat at the head and foot of the table.  
Nobody sat next to Deke.  
"Why do I have to eat dinner with my teachers?" Deke thought silently to himself. He didn't dare voice his thoughts.  
"You know, maybe it would be good if Deke here took auto repair" Mack explained, "it might help him- get better socialized with the rest of the students"  
"You mean make him into more of a man" Fitz joked  
"I think he's quite nice as he is" Jemma cleared her throat  
"I could say the same about the track team" Elena put in, "It might help you later in life"  
"The boy runs away enough as it is" Fitz stabbed a piece of meat with his fork, "runs away from bullies, girls, probably his own shadow" he popped the morsel into his mouth.  
"Try out auto body" Mack smiled, "consider it an elective" he continued, "and besides, that's usually a senior privilege"  
"Ok" Deke smiled back, "If you think it'll help"

In class, the next day, Mack explained to the class, "Remember, when the catalytic converter goes bad, the vehicle will emit more pollutants that haven't been burnt. It may eventually plug up and restrict exhaust flow to the point where the car is unable to be driven" he noticed Deke scribbling in his notebook instead of paying attention. Mack walked closer to where Deke's chair sat, "If it is a 1996 or newer, your check engine light will come on with a code 0420" he glanced down to Deke, furiously writing something.  
"Our love is a sad, sad lemon" Mack read aloud, "I made lemonade from the lemons that life gave you, but you didn't want to drink"  
The class, mostly sports team players, laughed uproariously.  
"Nice poem" Mack smiled and patted Deke on the shoulder. Deke looked up, horrified. Mack went on, "but poems don't get your car started" he added, "Lemon"  
"Deke's a big lemon, and any car he works on is a lemon, too" one of the football players laughed  
"Lemon, lemon, lemon" the other classmates joined in chanting  
"Alright, that's enough" Mack put his hands up, "Let's break into groups and see if we can get our converters working again"  
Mack walked over to Deke, "I want to talk to you after class" he wasn't smiling now.


	4. Chapter 4

"I'll write you a note" Mack began. Deke sat in a chair in front of Mack's desk. The teacher hardly used it. He wasn't meant to ride a desk; he wanted to be where the action was. "so you won't get in trouble with your next class teacher"  
"Great" Deke scoffed. He didn't want to be late, and especially not for his next class. Auto body shop hadn't gone so well. Besides having his poems read aloud, Deke had flubbed through the lesson, getting wires literally and figuratively crossed, dropping tools by mistake, and angering classmates with his arcane factual knowledge.  
"This is important" Mack sat on the edge of the desk, "You've got to pay attention in class. Now, if this girl's so special, maybe -"  
"Who said she's special?" Deke looked stunned that Mack knew things about Deke.  
"Come on, you practically told the whole class you're in love with her"  
"No, no I didn't" Deke played it off with a grin, "That'd be silly"  
"Ok then" Mack nodded, "so you're silly. But you've got to try harder. Maybe auto body isn't your speed, and sure, a lot of the guys here are seniors"  
"And I'm not" Deke sighed  
"You're a good kid" Mack smiled, "and I know your folks are really concerned about you"  
"Maybe Nana" Deke gave a dry laugh, "but not Bobo"  
"Sure, even – uh- Bobo" Mack agreed, "They might not tell you this, but I know that they care about what happens to you" he scribbled on a paper, "Now then, give this to your next teacher and – oh, go see Ms. Rodriguez after school at the gym. I want you to think about the track team. There's more underclassmen and you should fit right in?"  
"Because I run away from my own shadow?" Deke was sarcastic, mimicking Fitz's words from dinner the night before.  
"No" Mack shook his head, "Because you're small and fast and you know a lot more than some of these lunkheads" he grinned, "Now hurry up so you're not late for your next class" he handed over the hall pass to Deke  
"Right" Deke agreed, "Computer class"


	5. Chapter 5

"You're late" Jasper Sitwell, the computer class teacher barked when Deke shuffled into the room.  
"Sorry, sir" Deke stumbled over his words, and headed to the back of the room  
"No" Sitwell frowned, "I want you up here, where I can keep an eye on you"  
Class resumed, and Sitwell lectured on and showed the class how to disable firewalls, working on his computer and broadcasting it onto the screen so the students could follow along.  
"This is kindergarten stuff" Deke was soon bored. He played online instead, and soon was on social media.

Sitwell droned on, and Deke glanced across the room to Daisy. She wasn't exactly taking notes either. With her shoulder leaning against the closed window pane, she was more focused on something going on outside the class.  
"I wonder if she's online, too" he grinned, "I bet she's as bored as I am" he messaged her using a social media application from the computer.  
Unfortunately, while Daisy wasn't online, her phone was on, and it pinged, loudly.  
"Sorry about that" Deke typed again and sent a message. But that meant another ping from Daisy's phone  
"Is class boring you, Ms. Coulson?" Sitwell walked over to her. "Perhaps you'd like to go visit Principal Carter and discuss this"

Deke couldn't understand why Sitwell was lording this over her. A trip to the principal's office was for high end infractions, not something basic like texting in class, especially if it wasn't really her mistake; it was his.  
Chivalrous, to a fault, Deke put his hand up, "I'm to blame, Mr. Sitwell" he got the teacher's attention, "I was just checking up on her, to see if she's ok"  
"She looks fine to me" Sitwell stared over his eyeglasses at Deke, "but since you're a co-conspirator in this, why don't you both take a walk and visit the principal" he wasn't smiling, "Now"

Deke and Daisy gathered their things and left the classroom  
"What's wrong with you?" she glared at him

"I really did want to see if you were ok" he started, "you weren't paying attention in class and-"  
"And what?" she cut him off, "you wanted to be some sort of narc and make sure I was paying attention?"

"No" he looked wounded, "I wanted to see if I could do anything to help out" he looked away, "I know what its like when things are rough, and – well, sometimes, it feels like nobody's on your side" he spoke the last part to the lockers in the hallway, rather to her.  
"Well, thanks" she began, "but really, just don't do anything like that. It's not your job to care about me"  
"Maybe not" he sighed, "but – maybe we're friends and friends care about each other"  
"Who said we were friends?" she frowned at him  
"Yeah" Deke looked down at his sneakers  
"I'm just kidding" she laughed, "Look, there wasn't anything going on in that class that I couldn't do myself by the time I was in kindergarten"  
"Yeah, me too" he smiled  
A beat passed between them.  
"So" he broached the question, "what were you looking out the window for?"  
"Well" she blushed a moment, "Grant's out there, practicing for the team"  
"Right" Deke nodded and sighed, "Grant Ward"  
"He's not so bad" she got defensive  
"Sure" Deke exhaled. To himself, he thought, "not so bad if he's got the personality of a sea slug" he looked over at her, "I saw your Dad pick you up the other day, after school. He seems nice"  
"That's an act" Daisy was quick with a comeback, "It's all an act. They just want to keep me under their control"

"I guess that's why you like Ward" Deke guessed aloud, "I mean, he can take you away from all that, and all I can do is-" he didn't finish the sentence  
"You're a funny guy" Daisy laughed  
Deke turned red, like the fire extinguishers that dotted the hallways  
"Grant's not that bad" she repeated, "and I don't need him to get me away from my parents." she sighed, "and anyway, it's not like they really care about me"  
"What are you talking about?" Deke looked stunned, "you should try coming home with me"

Daisy stared at him  
"I mean" Deke faltered, "see what it's like at home"  
"What happened the other day?" Daisy questioned him, "It looked like your Dad was yelling at you"  
"Oh" Deke shook his head, "Nothing. I just messed up, again"  
"You shouldn't let them talk to you like that" Daisy frowned. The principal's office was almost right in front of them, "Show them who's boss"  
"Bobo is the boss" Deke shuddered  
"Bobo?" Daisy raised an eyebrow  
"It's just a- what I call him" Deke shrugged his shoulders, trying to play it casual, "It's nothing."  
"Nah" Daisy gave him a light punch on the shoulder, "It's not nothing. And you're not nothing either. You got to just get out there" she grinned at him, then opened the door to Principal Carter's office.


	6. Chapter 6

"I'll admit" Principal Carter frowned, "it's pretty serious to send you both down here for something as small as texting in class" she shook her blonde head of hair, "but, since you're down here, you might as well give me your side of things"  
"Look" Deke began, "I just wanted to make sure that Daisy was ok. I mean, she's – I mean- I was worried about her, ok?"  
"So I wasn't paying attention" Daisy scowled at Deke, and then at the principal, "I'm doing good in the glass, and I don't need anyone being a narc"  
"I'm not being a narc!" Deke practically yelled, "and just outside, you said I wasn't so bad"  
"Yeah, as a guy, not as a possible narc" Daisy shot back, "No, I was right before, you're not much of a guy and you're not even good as a narc"  
"Great, now nobody likes me, not even Nana and Bobo"  
"Nana and Bobo?" Principal Carter looked confused, "Both of you" she focused her attention on Deke and Daisy, "it looks like you need some sort of punishment, but seeing me seems extraneous" she sighed, "Report in detention today after classes finish for the day"  
"But I'll miss the reboot of Mystery Science Theatre!" Deke frowned  
"You'd rather have a discussion with Superintendent Fury?" Principal Carter gave Deke a knowing look  
"No, no" Deke quickly backtracked  
"I'll have a talk with Mr. Sitwell" she finished. "before you go, here" she handed them both detention slips. "You're dismissed"

Outside, Daisy punched Deke's arm, except this time, it wasn't light or soft at all.  
"Ow" Deke winced, "Wow, you're strong!" he rubbed the spot where she'd hit him, "I mean, I like that in women, but-"  
She didn't let him finish, "You jerk. I wanted to spend some time with Grant after school, after football practice" she fumed, "now I'm stuck in detention with you" she stalked away but then turned around and glared at him, "Sitwell's class is almost over, so why waste time with him, or you. At least I can get some decent food in the cafeteria if I get there early enough" she pointed an accusing finger at him, "And don't you dare follow me!"

Deke hung his head low and slinked back towards the classrooms.

"I got to find a way to tell her I'm sorry that I got her in trouble" he sighed, "I just got to" he walked, his sneakers hit the floor in cadence, and he mumbled through one of his favorite songs, "Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around -"  
He looked up into empty space and grinned.

Daisy sat at her regular lunch table, with Grant and the other football players. A few of the cheerleaders were there too, but Daisy didn't think much of them. Being smart was better than prancing around, shaking their pom-poms, and those stupid brightly colored decorative fibrous material tufts, too.  
She stole a french fry from Grant's plate and munched slowly, listening to him go on about his plans.  
"So then" he continued his conversation, "the photocopier stopped working and I was sure I'd have to do all the reports by hand" he laughed along with another football player.  
"Hang on" Daisy tapped him on the shoulder, "You didn't meet for our date because you were photocopying exam answers?" she glared at him. "You told me you were working on college applications"  
"Well babe, I want to get into a good college" he grinned, "How else could I do that?"  
"Actually study. You're smart, you know"  
"Sure" his eyes twinkled, "And you've got a great head on those shoulders" he gave his fellow football teammates a high five.  
"You said you liked the way I think"  
"I do" he nodded, and leaned close, "I like the way you kiss even better"  
Daisy's eyes burned amber at her boyfriend. She knew he wasn't really like this. He was trying to look good in front of his teammates. When they were alone, she knew he could be sweet when he wanted to. Right? "Right?" she asked herself.  
"Can I have your attention everyone?" Deke's voice echoed through the cafeteria. He'd stood up on one of the lunch tables and now he held a radio, one the older models. Phil and Melinda had called it a boom box.  
"Hey" Ward grinned, "It's your little buddy. Maybe that big huge radio will crush him like the bug he is" another set of high fives went around the football players.  
"I have something to say to someone, and I don't know how else to do it" Deke went on. He lowered the radio and turned on the tape player function. Rick Astley's song began playing. Deke, in full gusto, began singing over the music.  
"We're no strangers to love" he began, "You know the rules and so do I. A full commitment's what I'm thinking of." he pointed out toward the football player's table, "You wouldn't get this from any other guy"  
"Oh god no" Daisy buried her head in her hands  
"I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling" he sang off key, "Gotta make you understand"

As Deke sang the absolute entirety of Rick Astley's song, the football players laughed and pointed. Pretty soon, the rest of the cafeteria joined in.  
Daisy couldn't take it anymore. Even though she knew they were all laughing at Deke, inside she was sure they knew he was singing about her, and soon they'd all be laughing and pointing her way.  
She grabbed her backpack and purse, and ran out of the cafeteria.

Somebody threw a basketball toward Deke. Instead of catching it, the ball hit him in the shoulder and he fell off the lunch table.  
The tape deck kept playing, "Never gonna run around and desert you. Never gonna make you cry.

Never gonna say goodbye. Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you"

"I'm ok!" Deke shouted over the ensuing laughter. He scrambled up and dashed out of the cafeteria. He had to explain things to Daisy.


	7. Chapter 7

After school had ended, Deke and Daisy were finally together. Unfortunately, it was in detention.

"You pathetic little shit" Daisy glared at Deke, who sat at the desk next to hers.  
"No talking in detention" the teacher, Ms Amador barked.  
"Jerk" Daisy seethed under her breath  
Seconds turned to minutes. Suddenly, Ms. Amador stood, "I've got something in my eye." she glared at the students, "Nobody move until I get back"  
With that, she left the room.  
"Screw this" Daisy bolted from her desk, "later, losers" she was out the door in a matter of moments.  
"Wait for me" Deke headed to the door.  
By the time he was in the hallway, Daisy was nowhere to be found.

Deke sighed and walked the hallways. He didn't dare try to go back into the classroom, filled with the really bad kids. He'd get beaten up for sure.  
"Maybe I can see Daisy out on the field" he smiled, and walked out to the sports area.

"Go Grant!" Daisy cheered for her boyfriend. On the field, Grant Ward slammed into another player and tackled him to the ground.  
"Hi" Deke walked up to her  
"Oh god, what do you want?" she glared at him  
"Hey, that little shit is talking to your girl" another player nudged Grant.  
"I'll take care of him" he grinned. "C'mere" Grant yelled to Deke.  
"Later" Deke smiled at Daisy, and he quickly walked away.  
"Oh, no you don't" Grant followed him.  
Deke's quick walk broke out into a run as he raced away from Grant Ward.  
A yard or two away, the track team was setting up for their practice. Deke didn't see them and they didn't see him, until he shot past them.  
"Wow, look at him go" one of the team members gushed.  
Deke was already off like a rocket to get away from Ward, and he outran the track team just to get away.  
"Deke!" Elena called to him  
He didn't hear her.  
Meanwhile, Grant Ward had slowed down to a standstill, shocked to see the younger student run like that  
Elena called again, "Deke, you can stop now"

Deke slowed down and glanced back, still moving. He'd already raced around the track enough times, but Grant was nowhere to be found.  
"Congratulations" Elena slapped a hand on his shoulder.  
Deke flinched  
"You" she went on, "just earned yourself a spot on the track team.


	8. Chapter 8

Being on the track team had some perks. Deke was officially a "jock" and even a few girls who flocked around the team.  
"Show us how fast you are" a brunette stick-like girl cooed, "You're so graceful, like a beautiful butterfly"  
"Come off it, Snowflake" her friend nudged her, "Deke doesn't want to do all that, show you how fast he is, do you, Deke" the girls giggled as they headed past the track to the bleachers.  
Deke blushed beet red. Nobody had ever really paid attention to him like that.  
"Show us how fast you are, Deke!" the football players jeered him from just off the track, Grant shoved his teammates and they made exaggerated kissing sounds at the track team.  
"Forget about them" Virgil waved away the football jocks' insults, "They're a bunch of brainless morons"  
"And we're what?" Deke looked unsure  
"Go Grant!" Daisy cheered from just off the field as the football players pummeled into each other during their pre-game festivites. The game was starting soon, but the guys were still ramming each other, ready to win. The track team had their first real meet happening before the game. A scheduling error had both games on the same day, barely hours apart.  
"Oh no" Deke sighed, and gazed longingly at Daisy, in her black jeans and t-shirt. "She's so pretty" he grinned, "I'd like to put my mouth on hers and move it around a lot"  
"What?" Virgil laughed  
"Only if she wanted to, because that's what makes it good" Deke wasn't really listening to his friend.

"Hey, Trevor and Sequoia came to watch us!" Virgil pointed up at the bleachers, "and aren't those your parents?"

"What?" that snapped Deke out of his daydream. "Nana and Bobo, here? I can't perform like that. What if I mess up – or what if-" his thoughts spiraled out of his mouth.  
"What if you win, and then that Daisy chick will love you, right?" Virgil threw an arm around his teammate.  
"Yeah" Deke grinned widely

Just then, Principal Carter strode onto the field, a wireless microphone in her hand  
"Good afternoon parents, faculty, students" she began, "It is with great sorrow that I have to announce that the track tournament will have to be canceled today as the football team's game had been scheduled prior"  
"No" Deke shouted, "This was my one chance to show who I am!"  
"Awesome!" Grant Ward whooped with joy. He raced from his teammates and scooped up Daisy in his arms. He kissed her hard, all the while eyeing Deke, who slunk away from the track team.  
"Where are you going?" Virgil called out to Deke, "You don't know what's going to happen now"  
Deke hadn't missed a thing, "I don't care anymore" he mumbled and made his way into the school building.

The football team set up on the line of scrimmage against the opposing team.  
While that was happening, Deke had raced up the school's staircases to vent off his anger until he'd reached the top floor. He flung open the rooftop doors and shrugged his way to the edge of the roof. From that vantage point, he could see the entire scene down below, the track, emptying of the teams, and the football players ready to beat each other into a senseless pulp.  
He stepped one sneakered foot out onto the ledge and peered down. Everyone looked tiny, meaningless, just like how he felt.

Down below, Trevor Khan looked up at the school and noticed his best friend perched atop the roof, "Holy crap, Deke's on the roof!"

A crowd rushed from the bleachers and the field to see the spectacle  
Elena Rodriguez rushed to where Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons sat in the bleachers, "You're his guardians", she pushed a loudspeaker into their hands. "Go talk to him"  
Jemma and Fitz made their way down the bleacher stairs and over to the field, "Deke" Jemma began, holding the megaphone, "You don't have to do this. It'll be alright"  
"It'll never be alright!" Deke shouted from the roof top. "I'm going to jump" he wiped some tears on his warm-up jacket sleeve, "Then everyone can go on with their lives, happy again"

"I'll handle this" Fitz smiled at his wife and took the loudspeaker from her, "Deke" he began, "Do a flip" he shouted through the megaphone  
Deke put his other foot up on the ledge. He didn't feel afraid anymore.


	9. Chapter 9

Deke leapt and his body soared over the atmosphere for a moment before he began his plummet.  
Daisy braced herself; she had to do something.  
She froze.  
Terrified to do what she thought she could, she did nothing.  
Deke's body hurtled to the ground. Finally, he felt free of the burden he'd caused everyone- Bobo, Nana, Mr. Mackenzie, Ms. Rodriguez, Daisy, everyone.  
His body landed onto the pavement with a sickening crunch. Bones shattered.  
There was no reprisal.  
Daisy stared at the broken bones of what used to be her classmate.

"Deke's really dead, isn't he?" she realized

"Yeah." Grant Ward materialized behind her, his hands on her shoulders for support.

"Should we be sad about that?" Daisy wondered aloud

"Nope." he shook his head.

As Grant guided her away from the carnage, Daisy looked back one last time. She could've saved Deke. She knew that.  
She had powers. Nobody knew that.  
God, what would people have thought about her? Grant would've broken up with her. Phil and Melinda would've disowned her, and they weren't even her real parents. Isn't that why her parents left her for adoption, because she was some sort of freak?  
Meanwhile, the sports medicine team rushed to the site to deal with the body.  
Don't worry, the football game only got postponed, not canceled.

END

**A/N - the actual show's finale essentially made me give up on a lot of dreams. The end result is that romantic love is a sham, and that couples we root for never get together because the powers that be think that a sensitive, funny, caring guy is a joke, and that in order to be a sought after suitor, you shouldn't have anything that makes you weak, including feelings of inadequacy. **


	10. Chapter 10

Deke leapt and his body soared over the atmosphere for a moment before he began his plummet.  
Daisy braced herself; she had to do something.  
Time stopped for Daisy.  
She had powers. Nobody knew that.  
Her adoptive parents, Phil and Melinda didn't. Grant didn't. God, she had to will herself to stop when she got excited, especially with him.  
Grant.  
Grant lied to her.  
He said he was working on college applications but he was photocopying test answers and making money off of it.  
She stared as Deke fell.  
Deke didn't lie to her. He was truthful to a fault.  
God, he serenaded her with that horrible song. He really was stuck in the 1980s.  
He didn't deserve this.  
Daisy played back what Deke had said before he leapt, "It'll never be alright!" Deke had shouted . "I'm going to jump" he continued, "Then everyone can go on with their lives, happy again"  
Maybe her parents gave her up because she was a freak, and nobody else knew.  
Daisy stared as Deke fell.  
They'd know now.  
She extended her arms and waves of vibrations emitted.  
"Gentle" she reminded herself. She didn't want to slam Deke into the school's exterior wall.  
Deke stopped falling.  
"Whoa!" he shouted. "I'm flying!"  
Daisy guided her vibrations slowly until Deke was lowered onto the ground again.  
Deke stared at her once his sneakered feet touched the concrete. He didn't ask her how. He just couldn't take his eyes off her.  
"I thought nobody cared" he finally spoke, "Why?"  
"Why did I care?" she answered  
Everything came flooding back to her once more. Grant's lies, her birth parents, her powers, the way Deke followed her around like a lovesick puppy.  
Could she risk taking a chance? Now? On him?  
She reached out and grabbed his hand. "Because you're -" she smiled despite herself, "not like the other guys"  
"What the hell is this?" Grant Ward strode forward, "What happened to you, Skye?"  
She wheeled around, dropped Deke's hand, and faced him, "What are you talking about?"  
"That!" he mimicked her arm movement, his arms straight ahead, "you're a freak! What the hell?"  
Daisy opened her mouth to speak, but Grant cut her off,  
"I knew it. I should've listened to my counselor. I had a feeling about you"  
"Ah, young Grant" the counselor showed up as if on cue  
"Mr. Whitehall?" Daisy stared at him. He was the reason her mother- her birth mother- wasn't here right now.  
"Come on, now" Whitehall placed a reassuring arm around Grant, "You don't need to sully yourself with classmates from SHIELD Academy. The skies are much brighter after graduation. You'll like college. There's one in particular" he led Grant away, "that you'll enjoy. Steeped in heritage. The founder hailed from Germany, you know"  
Daisy didn't try to stop Grant. It was as if she'd been blind for years and was finally seeing things. Sky was what he liked to call her. She called herself that for a time, but when she found out that her real name had been Daisy, from her birth parents, then she didn't want to be called anything else, except by Grant.  
"Never again" she resolved now.  
"Never again what?" Deke's fingers hooked around hers. His silly grin was gone, and he looked concerned.  
"I won't fall for jerks again" she gave him a strong look, "Never again"  
"Amazing job back there" Principal Carter pushed past the growing crowd around the teenagers, "Daisy, you'll do well in our accelerated classes from here on out" she went on, smiling, "and might I add, you two are an adorable couple" she pulled an old fashioned wallet album from her purse, "reminds me of my Aunt Peggy and Uncle Daniel" she opened the album to a brunette man and woman, their arms intertwined, posed at a simple wedding reception, her available hand holding a wedding bouquet, his plugged into a forearm crutch.  
"Ooh, he's cute" Daisy stared  
"He's a little old for you" the principal laughed, "he's about eighty now"

After the crowd had dispersed, and the four adults- the Coulsons and FitzSimmons were talking, Daisy and Deke stood behind the school's bleachers, the seats casting odd shadows over their faces  
"Really, I mean it, why me? What's so great about me" Daisy held Deke's hand while he spoke

"Hold on" she stopped him, and squeezed his hand, "What was that all about back there, you saying that if you died, everyone could go back to being happy again?"  
"Well, you know, everyone who likes me is dead"  
"You've got your parents"  
"They're not my parents" Deke scoffed, "they just took me in because we're tangentially related"  
"Oh" Daisy was quiet. After a moment, she went on, "my parents – they're not really my birth parents"  
"Oh" it was Deke's turn. "But they like you, they love you. They wouldn't have taken care of you if they didn't love you" he offered  
"You could say that about - Nana and Bobo" she smiled  
"Ok" he conceded, "Sure"

"But back to your question" she rubbed the palm of his hand with her fingers. "There were a lot of guys I knew who said a lot of nice things, but their actions didn't really match up" she continued when Deke opened his mouth to say something, "and you're – you're not like that." she smiled at the thought, "your actions match up with what you're saying" she leaned closer so their shoulders touched, "I like that"  
Deke stared at Daisy  
Daisy stared at Deke  
"Hurry up and kiss her!" Trevor shouted.  
Daisy and Deke looked up to see Trevor Khan and his girlfriend, Sequoia staring down at them from the bleachers. Trevor hopped down from a low seat and helped Sequoia down.  
"Spying on us, huh?" Daisy gave Trevor a friendly punch in the arm  
"Well, that's a letdown" Trevor threw an arm around Deke's shoulders, "maybe later" he made exaggerated kissing noises with his mouth.  
"Shut up" Deke grinned at his best friend  
"Come on" Trevor looked from Deke to Daisy and back, "we're going to grab burgers. Let's make it a double date" he winked at Squoia.

"Sure" Daisy held Deke's hand. She didn't mind anyone seeing her now.  
"Where are you all headed?" Melinda May-Coulson called to where the teenagers were  
"We're going out" Daisy began, "all of us, for burgers"  
"Have fun!" Phil Coulson waved and smiled. He looked back at his wife, "Weird kid, but good"  
"Like someone else I know" she nudged him gently.

Daisy felt comfortable with Deke. They shared interests and had a mutual understanding between them. She knew that with Deke around her, she could enjoy a relationship, and that having one didn't mean that her life of action and adventure ever had to –

END


End file.
